UL Standards & Engagement Announces Goal to Update 1,700 Standards and Documents for Inclusive Language by 2030

Washington, DC
January 10, 2024
ULSE

Today, UL Standards & Engagement announced the official review of its standards catalog to incorporate inclusive language by 2030. This review will cover UL Standards & Engagement’s more than 1,700 standards and documents to ensure language does not discriminate against groups of people or perpetuate stereotypes. As part of this review, UL Standards & Engagement also commits to updating its internal processes to ensure inclusive language is consistently used in the standards development process and in all new standards.

“True safety is inclusive,” said Caroline Treuthardt, senior standards project manager at UL Standards & Engagement, who is leading the initiative. “Language plays a key role in shaping cultural and social behavior, and we want to ensure that the words we use serve to empower greater safety and are consistent with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

The substantive reevaluation of the UL standards’ lexicon will require removing references and key terms that are antiquated or exclusionary. An initial review of the catalog found that more than 650 UL standards would need to be updated to ensure inclusive language. The 2030 target is driven by the need to reconvene the experts and stakeholders on ULSE’s technical committees to vote on updates.

“Our objective is to be a leader among global standards development organizations at describing products and situations accurately, not in ways that are unintentionally exclusionary," continued Treuthardt. “We want to ensure our standards have impact and possess strong technical rigor, while ensuring there are no real or perceived barriers to participation in developing these standards.”

The inclusive language review builds on further efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, including UL Standards & Engagement’s gender action plan and the signing of the Declaration for Gender Responsible Standards and Standards Development from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe which occurred in August 2022. As a leading safety organization, UL Standards & Engagement committed to the following:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
•    Increase gender diversity throughout the standards development process.
•    Improve understanding and technical applicability of standards requirements across genders.
•    Educate standards development professionals and stakeholders on the importance of developing gender-responsive standards.
•    Create guidance for standards authors on development of gender-responsive standards.

To read more about UL Standards & Engagement’s diversity equity, and inclusion efforts visit https://ulse.org/about/dei. 

About ULSE

UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ulse.org for more information.

Contact

Catie Talenti
UL Standards & Engagement
Senior Strategic Communications Specialist
P: (607) 742-8766
catie.talenti@ul.org